This week at ViolinSchool we're going workout-crazy! We've heard from many of our learners that they've already zipped through all 40 of our 5 Minute Workouts, and are clamouring for more ... Not familiar with the 5 minute workouts? Read all about them here! >> ... so, to keep ahead of the game, we've been […]
… plip-plop … plip-plop … here's ViolinSchool’s arrangement of the absolutely gooooorgeous melody from Chopin's Prelude No. 15, known as the "Raindrop" prelude.
We're delighted to present a brand new website for ViolinSchool London: http://london.violinschool.com/ This new site is separate from our main eLearning platform at www.ViolinSchool.com, and features up to date information about all of our London-based tuition and events, including calendars and booking forms, plus details of our... Lessons & Coaching Courses & Classes Ensembles & Violin Orchestra Beginner Violin Classes […]
Good Old Days is a lyrical, nostalgic melody in the good old key of C major! Think fond memories and play it like you would sing it – smooth and flowing and mellifluous! ?
Many of our learners have told us that they've now made their way through all thirty of our 5 Minute Workouts and, so, we are delighted to present the next ten, nos. 31-40 (and, oo-er, they're starting to get a bit trickier!) 🙂 ViolinSchool Members - click here to download ALL the 5 Minute Workouts! […]
By popular request, we've made a version of the 1st movement Allegro of "Spring" from The Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi - (Concerto No. 1 in E major, Op. 8, RV 269, "La Primavera"). We've transposed it from E major into A major (and made a few other little interventions!), so that it can be […]
These exercises are brilliant for practising double-stopped sixths! Great for intonation work and for developing a really solid left hand. Who doesn’t want a solid left hand?! 🙂
Scuttlefish, Scuttlefish! is a delightfully quirky little piece with lovely, flowing passagework in G major and E minor, and the odd surprise here and there. Enjoy ... glug, glug! 🙂
G, D, and A are the most common keys in violin music, so it's worth getting to know them so well that they feel like old friends! 🙂
Playful Pandas is a great little piece for beginners. We’ve presented it in G, D, and A major to help you get to know these most important keys! Have fun!
ViolinSchool's just celebrated its fifth birthday (!), and the Violin Orchestra its tenth concert! Here's a video from our recent webcast, recorded in London on Saturday 1st July 2017, featuring The Pimlico Players (a Violin Ensemble made up of ViolinSchool learners) and then The Violin Orchestra. Would you like to join the Violin Orchestra? Find out more […]
Come ride with us on Prokofiev's Troika! 🙂 We've written out the Troika theme, from Sergei Prokofiev's 'Lieutenant Kijé Suite', in G, D, and A major. It's *such* a great tune, perfect for getting to know the major scale (it uses all eight notes of the one-octave major scale, and not a note more!) A […]
One of the most popular pieces of music for beginner violinists is Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. We've just updated our sheet music so that you can play it in three of the most common keys: G Major D Major A Major We've written all three versions on the same sheet, so you can learn them […]
The ViolinSchool Summer Concert is now streaming live on Facebook! Join us here: https://www.facebook.com/violinschool/ The second half of the livestream featuring the Violin Ensembles and The Violin Orchestra will now begin at 3.45pm London time. Tune in at 3.45pm this afternoon to hear THE VIOLIN ORCHESTRA! Here's the programme for today's concert (click to enlarge): ViolinSchool […]
The violins are out! The soundchecks are underway! And in just a couple of hours from now, the Violin Orchestra will be performing live here in London for all to hear! Join us from 2pm London time to hear all the ViolinSchool students perform their solos, or 3.20pm for the ensembles and Violin Orchestra itself! You can catch […]
We're pleased to announce that ViolinSchool's annual Summer Webcast will take place live from London at 2pm (London time) on Saturday 1st July. The Violin Orchestra will be performing at Whitefield's Tabernacle on Tottenham Court Road, in the main hall of the American Church in London. The concert will feature a selection of solo performances by members […]
We're pleased to introduce an all-new feature on ViolinSchool.com - Five Minute Workouts! These great little exercises came about when one of our London learners kept running out of practice time each week because his crazy-busy job in the City of London meant that he barely had any time to practice each day! He tried to […]
There are many reasons that people have for wanting to play the violin. Here are some of the reasons we hear most often: "I just love the sound" "It helps me to relax" "I want to be able to express myself" Regardless of where the initial inspiration for playing the violin comes from, if you drill down far […]
When you're learning violin for the first time, it can be difficult to remember which finger goes where. It also takes a long time to think about where to put each finger - especially if you're playing a new piece of music. A good way around this is to get used to playing scales before […]
The learning process never stops because there are so many layers of complexity in violin-playing. Each layer reveals more, and richer possibilities for musical expression. At the same time, you don't want to get so wrapped up in the detail of one particular technique or that you lose sight of your overall music-making! Make sure you […]
The Violin Orchestra starts this Saturday in London, UK. Check out our new video by Setareh Mood, to learn all about the project!
Here are some really useful exercises for shifting down from 3rd position. What goes down must go up! Click here for the shifting up version!
Here are some really useful exercises for shifting up to 3rd position. What comes up must go down! Click here for the shifting down version!
Staccato Spritzer! is not just a great study for practising staccato strokes, it's also a delightful piece of music ... with a very cheeky ending! Hone your ability to play staccato eighth notes (quavers) and staccato quarter notes (crotchets), all the while negotiating single, double and triple string crossings! Top tip: keeping your bow as […]
Amazing Grace is surely one of the most popular melodies on earth ... especially in America! In this ViolinSchool partition we've got the main version of the melody at the top of the page, then another version that's been slightly embellished. Embellishing a melody is like putting ornaments on the mantlepiece, decorating it and elaborating on […]
